2 Key Mindset Shifts for Long-Term Body Balance

Unfortunately for me, dreaming and thinking positively about getting healthy didn’t stop me from bingeing. It’s like that positivity was intertwined with willpower, and at one point, the tension breaks. And you’re back at square one.

Most people who I meet who want to get healthy are enthusiastic about their goals. But here’s the problem: logically, they can see how it’s possible to reach their goals, and they can visualize it happening. But deep down on the inside, they don’t believe that it can actually happen. Having a positive mindset isn’t only about dreaming about what you want – it’s about clearing the thoughts that are holding you back.

How are you supposed to make your subconscious/soul get on board with your conscious goals? You can tell yourself over and over and over that you can meet your goals, but how do you get rid of any doubt, fears, or overwhelm?

It all comes down to these two key mindset shifts, for long-term weight loss:

Clearing fears (Is the weight protecting you from something? Will you feel “exposed” if you start getting attention about your body?)

Let’s go into detail on both of these.

If you want to clear away any doubts about your ability to make your goals happen, then you need to do three things:

Identify the doubt

This might sound obvious, but a lot of people feel doubtful without asking themselves why they feel that way, or where the source of doubt is coming from. You need to get clear on the specific doubtful things you tell yourself. Common ones are “I’ve tried everything, why would this work?” or, “My body is just different from everyone else’s. I have to work harder.”

Question the doubt – “Why do you think that?” “Is this true?”

Now, we have to figure out where the doubt came from in the first place. Have you really tried everything to your best ability? Despite seeing countless before and after weight loss photos, do you think it’s true that your body is different and can’t change?

Provide evidence to disprove the doubt

Now that you understand what the source of the doubt is, and where it’s coming from, you have to change that doubt into a different, positive belief. For example, if you think you’ve tried everything, maybe you realized that you actually only started health programs every Monday-Wednesday and never got past doing it for 3 days before giving up. Or, maybe you recognize that you’ve had great achievements in other areas of your life, so surely you can figure this out, too.

Why does this work?

Because if you can disprove every doubt that comes to your mind, then before you know it, your subconscious/soul is going to believe that you really can meet your goals. Because it doesn’t believe any of those doubts, anymore.

Now, let’s talk about fears. Most people don’t think they have anything to fear about their dreams, because in their dreams they are completely happy.

But the thing is, when your body changes, so does your identity. It feels very strange to think of yourself as overweight but then see a slim figure of yourself reflected back in the mirror. One reason why people self-sabotage is because they can’t connect themselves to their new identity. Reconstructing your identity and getting comfortable with how people will respond to you is one of the keys to lasting weight loss, and avoiding self-sabotage.

Just like with the steps for overcoming doubt, you want to start by identifying what fears you have. The easiest way to do this is to start asking yourself what negative thoughts you have about the type of people who have the body you dream of.

It’s kind of like a commonly know belief around wealth. People really want to have more money. But at the same time, they think that rich people are snobs. Well, if you think that rich people are snobs, then it’s likely that you don’t want to become a rich person, because you don’t want other people thinking of you as a snob. So you avoid making money.

The same concept applies to health. If you see gorgeous women with slim bodies all over instagram and dream of having that body and fashion styles, that’s great. But maybe you also have negative thoughts about these women. Maybe you think they aren’t as intelligent and you fear that looking good would mean people would treat you superficially. Maybe you think that if you get slim, men will approach you and say inappropriate remarks. Maybe you think that beautiful women don’t have to lift a finger to get what they want, and you don’t want people to think that you aren’t someone who works hard and earns.

These are just some examples, but it’s really important to ask yourself if you have any negative thoughts about healthy, beautiful women who you admire, and ask yourself how you can change the story of negativity into one of admiration. This is the way to step into your new identity with a smooth transition.

So if you’ve started and stopped diets countless times and you’ve been losing faith in yourself that you can make it work this time around, now’s the time to sit yourself down and ask yourself: what are your doubts? What do you fear? You’ll find a newfound confidence within you and a clear determination to move forward with your goals.

Have you tried these mindset shifts? Tell us how they worked for you (or what did!) below!

Katheryn Gronauer is a holistic health coach who helps career women and yoyo dieters lose weight with Food Energetics. Her mission is to put women in the drivers seat of their eating lifestyles so they can have their cake and eat it, too. She's a contributor to The Huffington Post, Mindbodygreen, Elite Daily, Elephant Journal, Thought Catalog, and Thrive. Visit her website to learn more about the eating philosophy of sophisticated women.